Belt-tightener.



I H. EQWALTZ.

BELT TIGHTENER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-24. $918.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

m FEE -i eg m s IN V EN TOR.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. WALTZ,

0F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, 'ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE H. HARRIS, 0F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

IBELT-TIGHTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

Application filed September 24, 1918. Serial No. 255,430.

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that IL-HERBERT E. WALTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt- Tighteners; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in tighteners for belts of the type used in machine shops, and manufacturing plants, and particularly to a combination belt ti-ghtener and shaft hanger, the principal object of the invention being to produce a device by means of which the belts of the pulleys on the countershaft may be tightened without the necessity of taking the belt off or even stopping the machinery, and which Will tighten the belts whether they run horizontally or vertically from the pulleys.

A further object has been to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly eflective for the purpose for'which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

On the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding ,parts in the several views. p

.Figure l is a side elevation of the complete device, as installed with two pulleys and belts, one running horizontally and the other vertically.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device,

- with the belts removed from the pulleys.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the hanger base which is suitably. secured to a ceiling beam or joist 2, tlieiends of the members 1 projecting betyondfthe edges of the joist for a certain dis- 86 At t e lower end of these arms are pivotally mounted arms 6 which normally extend horizontally, the outer ends being connected by a shaft 7 on which the pulleys 8 and 8 are mounted.

Blocks '9 and 10 are swivelly mounted to the outer edges of the extensions of the base members 1. These blocks are tapped for the reception of threaded rods 11 and 12, respectively, which rods pass through blocks 13- and 14, the blocks 13 being swivelly mounted at the outer ends of the arms 6, and the blocks 14 being likewise mounted at the pivoted point of the arms 5'and 6.

Collars 15 are secured to the rods 11 and 12 under the lower blocks 13 and 14 and carry the weight of the various parts. Each of the rods 11 is provided with a sprocket wheel' 16 on its upper end, having a connecting chain 17 therebetween, and the rods 12 each have a similar wheel 18 and chain connections 19.

One of each of the rods 11 and 12 is also provided with a toggle or universal joint 20 under the collar 15, from which depends a rod 21 turnable by means of a hand wheel 22, located within easy reach of the operator.

Thus, itwill be seen, that by turning the hand wheel connected to one ofthe rods 12, both will be turned and the pivotal point of the arms 5 and 6 will be raised, thereby tightening the horizontal belt 23 on the pulley 8.

. Similarly the turning ofthe rods 11 will raise the-shaft 7 and the vertical belt 24 on the pulley 8 will be tightened.

Thus, from the foregoing description, it will readily be seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as donot form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as'defined by-the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A shaft hanger and belt tightener comprising a base adapted to be secured to a ceiling joist, a forked member pivotally mounted thereto and depending therefrom, an arm pivotally mounted on each of the outer ends of the forked member, a shaft having pu leys thereon connecting the outer ends of the arms, means whereby the pivotal point of the forked member with the shaftholding arms may be swung upwardly about the upper pivotal point of the forked member as an axis to tighten a horizontal belt on one of the pulleys, and means whereby the shaft retaining arms are swung on their pivotal point as an axis to raise the shaft and tighten a vertically hung belt on the other one of the pulleys, each of said tightening means being independent in action from the other. 4

2. A shaft hanger and belt tightener comprising a base adapted to be secured to a ceiling joist, a forked member pivotally mounted thereto and depending therefrom,

an arm pivotally mounted on each of the outer ends of the forked member, a shaft having pulleys thereon connecting the outer ends of the arms, means whereby the shaft may be moved horizontally to tighten a horizontal belt on one of the pulleys, and means whereb the shaft may be moved vertically to tighten a vertical belt on the other one of the pulleys, such means being operable from the floor below the ceiling on which the hanger is secured.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT E. WALTZ.

Witnesses:

VERADINE WARNER, FRANK H. CARTER. 

